Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 15, 1990 TAG: 9003152704
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Most of the violations involved minors aged 14 and 15 working too many hours or 16- and 17-year-olds working at hazardous jobs, Dole said.
The investigation, called Operation Child Watch, is expected to result in more than $1.8 million in civil fines.
"The cop is on the beat. Violations, whether motivated by greed or by ignorance, will not be tolerated," Dole said in a statement prepared for a news conference.
About 500 federal officials conducted more than 3,400 investigations during the three-day probe.
Last year, the Labor Department's wage and hour division, which enforces child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, found 22,508 minors to be illegally employed, an all-time high.
Since 1985, child labor violations uncovered by the federal government have more than doubled.
William Brooks, assistant secretary of labor for employment standards, said more violations have been uncovered because of better enforcement and also because labor shortages have prompted businesses to hire young people.
"We are not going to permit abuse of our children, whether it's because of greed or whether it's because of ignorance of the law," Dole said earlier on NBC's "Today" program.
Educating businesses is another element, she said, adding that "we believe that most will certainly adhere to the law if they understand what the laws and regulations are."
Part of the problem, she said, is the slowest rate of growth in the labor force in 40 years.
"We expect that through the end of the century that [growth rate] is going to decrease about 8 percent, or by 2 million, in the age category 16 to 24 so in some cases employers are reaching into prohibited areas to get workers because of that slow growth," she said.
Dole said last month that she wanted to stiffen penalties for child labor violations and planned to increase the department's enforcement.
She declined to say whether the administration would support tougher child labor legislation pending in Congress, saying the matter is under review.
by CNB